Is there anything worse than suffering for other people’s mistakes?
One person makes a bad move, and we all go down. For instance, you’re a safe driver, yet you pay a lot for car insurance because most people your age don’t drive as safely as you.
We’re talking about the oil spill, of course. Let’s re-cap, but not in the same way BP thinks things should be capped.
In case you have been stuck in another dimension, on April 20, there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and the rig sank two days later.
Since the explosion, hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil have been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico each day.
According to PBS, more than 35 million gallons have leaked so far, making it the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds.
The seven attempts to control it have failed miserably, BP executives and our government are at a loss, the economy in the border states of the Gulf is suffering terribly and the seeping oil is destroying everything in its path. And now, it’s not just the poisoned birds, angler’s livelihoods and BP’s reputation suffering.
To make matters worse, the oil is now entering our turf. If you planned an awesome beach trip on the west coast this summer, you better get there fast, because last we heard, crude oil is not a good substitute for suntan lotion.
For all of Florida’s misgivings, there’s one thing we can applaud it for — we stuck with tourism and left offshore drilling to other states. Suckers!
Naturally, this would hit us now, during the summer as we try to suck up all the tourist money we can from beach-side hotels and Mickey Mouse.
Oil is vital to the nation’s economy and all, but Florida’s tourism industry accounts for $60 billion of our economy.
UCF economist Sean Snaith conducted a study showing that if Florida’s tourism industry is cut by half, 195,000 jobs will be lost along with $11 billion in Florida’s Gulf coast. Ouch.
The spill has now reached the Panhandle, and if currents continue to spread the oil along our coast, our economy could plummet.
Florida, which has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, may no longer be an ideal vacation spot. Blue, foamy shores could become part of our distant memory. We will tell our children of days past, when Florida beaches could be swam in without risk of cancer.
It’s more than just the economy though. Many of us here at UCF are Florida natives. Our beaches are a way of life and a part of what makes Florida so unique.
Our anglers, surfers, reefs, wildlife and beautiful state are about to suffer for what could end up being a very long time.
We’re angry that Floridians have to suffer for this and hope that someone — be it the federal government or BP — steps up. Actions for fixing this shouldn’t be something we end up waiting decades for.